UAAP: NU coach Jeff Napa shrugs off Kean Baclaan’s shooting woes in latest win

NU Bulldogs’s Kean Baclaan. Photo by Tristan Tamayo/INQUIRER.net

MANILA, Philippines—National University rookie Kean Baclaan was limited to only 20 percent shooting from the field but coach Jeff Napa does not see it as a problem.

In the Bulldogs’ most recent win, the sweet shooter only sank three baskets in 15 attempts. Napa shrugged off his player’s woes since his system relies on balanced scoring.

“It’s not just Kean who scores, it’s all of them. It’s a matter of giving confidence,” he said after NU’s 58-54 win over Adamson at Mall of Asia Arena on Saturday.

“Even me, I had huge confidence before when I was playing, so why would I prohibit them from shooting?” he added.

The rookie finished with eight points and seven rebounds but his most impactful number in the stat sheet is his four steals.

Baclaan’s defense, according to Napa, was the reason why he was still given the green light to shoot despite several misses.

“It’s that simple. I tell them, no problem, just shoot. My challenge is you bounce back on defense. That’s the mindset I’m trying to give him. If he misses 10 shots, it’s okay because at the end of the day, shots will go in and you will have to defend,” he explained.

Baclaan had 13 points in their last outing to shock defending champion University of the Philippines on Wednesday, 80-75.

NU is now the lone team in the top seed, overtaking Ateneo and La Salle with a 4-1 win-loss record.